Brian was Jessica''s last customer of the evening. He blinked as he stepped through the beaded curtain into the dimmer light of the trailer and looked around uncertainly. Smiling, Jessica decided to experiment with Madam Memory''s accent a little. She deepened her voice, making the Irish brogue subtler, throaty. "Welcome," she said. "Won''t you sit down, then?" The effect pleased her. It sounded exotic, oh yeah, and sexier. "Um, sure," Brian said.
"Here?" "That''s just fine. Either one. Those are the only chairs, after all. Except for mine, and won''t I be needing this one myself?" Jessica''s smile deepened. He actually blushed! How sweet. "Of course," he said. "Sorry." Poor thing.
He was nervous. She wished she could take the credit for that. Jimmy Malone stuck his head through the beads. "And where am I supposed to sit? Jessica''s smile brightened. "Anywhere you like, rogue. So long as it''s not here. The messages I bring forth from the Perilous Realm are for my customer''s ears only." Jimmy''s eyes widened.
"Then how am I supposed to spread scandalous rumors and mock Brian?" "That''s your own problem, isn''t it? I can''t tell all unless it''s private." Brian grinned. "That''s enough for me. Beat it, Jim." "Oh well. I''ll just make stuff up. That works better anyhow." "Joy," said Brian.
"See me smiling?" "I do," said Jimmy. "And I see you waving bye-bye. I''m off to drink, then. Find me at the top of the hill when you''re done. It''s the best place to see the parade." "Check. See you." Brian moved to the table.
"Bye. Take good care of him," Jimmy called back to Jessica as he disappeared. As Brian sat down, Jessica gave him an appraising once-over. Not bad . He was cute, if a little too clean cut. She pursed her lips and nodded. Erin was right. He had gorgeous eyes.
And if he really had been so taken with the music, maybe there was more to him than his yuppie golf shirt and khakis suggested. "Now what?" Brian asked. Jessica''s eyes narrowed and she held Brian''s gaze. "Why don''t you tell me what brought you here? You have some . specific question on your mind, I think. Is there . someone you''d like to ask me about? A pretty harper has caught your eye, perhaps?" "If one had, would you have any advice for me? From, uh, the spirits, of course." Jessica smiled again.
"We''ll have to see, won''t we just?" "I suppose so." Brian leaned forward. "So how does this work?" Jessica took her deck in hand and began to shuffle. When she''d rifled the deck six times, she passed it to Brian. "Cut the deck twice, won''t you? Use your left hand." Brian obeyed. Jessica shuffled the deck three more times. "Lucky nine," she said.
"Here, cut the cards once more, lucky three, but this time think about your question. Or about the lady who''s caught your eye, despite the fact that she''s got a much prettier friend." Brian smiled sheepishly as he cut the deck again. "It seems I have a thing for harpists." " Humph. Oh well. The friend''s probably out of your league anyway. Oh, don''t pout so.
I''m joking. But we Celts call them harpers, not harpists. You''ll earn a few points if you remember that, I think. There. Some useful advice already. Don''t tell her I told you." "I won''t breathe a word." "See that you don''t, and I may have a few more pointers.
" Jessica took the cards and began to deal. "But be careful, milord. You break her heart, and you''ll have to face the terror of my gypsy curse!" "I''ll be careful, then." "See that you are." "What if she breaks my heart?" "Ha! You''re a man. It''s probably no less than you deserve." Brian chuckled. "Great.
" Jessica played with a twist of hair near her ear as she studied the cards. Without thinking, she''d chosen a spiral spread, beginning at the significator, the first card she''d dealt, and its cross. She''d dealt a preponderance of Cups. The first cards seemed obvious enough. The Two of Cups and the Lovers. She''d hoped for something a wee bit more subtle; no need to make things too obvious. Three of the cards were unfamiliar. Jessica''s heart pounded in her chest and her palms were damp.
The weird cards were back. Now why hadn''t they shown up when Jamal and Fiona were around? She struggled to keep her face composed. Stay in character, she admonished herself. The first strange card was the Perilous Realm, showing a gate blocking access to a sun-lit path leading to a stone bridge crossing a rushing stream and stretch of woods beyond. A circle of improbably colored toadstools grew beside the stony path. The other was the Three of Riddles, which, oddly enough, showed two golden keys lying one across the other. I am not going to let this freak me out. I am not.
The third, one she''d seen before earlier in the day, showed a book bound in old leather. A golden harp with strings of silver stood behind it. The name of the card was the Hidden Book of Secret Knowledge. A harp, Jessica thought. Well, that card can stand for Erin. It crossed the card that was supposed to be the significator, a card for Brian--the Knight of Wands. Appropriate. "Interesting," said Jessica.
"We have the Lovers at the beginning." "That sounds promising." "We''ll see," said Jessica, waggling her eyebrows. "In this position, it suggests hopes and possibilities, not promises." She shook her finger at Brian. "Hear me?" "That''s all I could ask for." "Well said. The reading also has quite a lot of the suit of Cups, cards of emotions and the heart.
That''s a good sign, I think. And it''s enough to tell me that you should definitely talk to this harper. I see a processional, and a celebration." "What does that mean?" "Maybe, just maybe, if you happen to see a parade, you might get an invitation to a cast party. Say! Isn''t that a coincidence? Why, there''s just such a party after the parade here at Blackthorne Faire." "Will Erin be there? Do you think I could get an invitation?" Jessica coughed to hide her laugh. The poor boy was trying so hard to keep his voice casual. He was smitten, all right.
Jessica found herself beginning to like him. He might be good enough for Erin after all. "We''ll have to see, won''t we? I''m just telling you what the cards seem to say." "But it''s possible. Uh, maybe?" Jessica shrugged. "Maybe. If you, uh, play your cards right, that is. See what I did there?" She grinned at her own pun.
"Can you introduce me?" Jessica rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Oh, I definitely could," she said, taking a significant look at a stoneware pitcher filled with coins and wadded bills. "I certainly could ." "Ah, I see." Brian made a move to reach for his wallet. "Hey, I''m kidding. Put your money away, milord. Well, till after the reading, anyway.
" "Any more advice?" Brian glanced down at the cards and pointed to the last two in the spiral--the Perilous Realm and the Three of Riddles. "What about these last two? Aren''t they the outcome?" Great. He would ask about the stupid cards I don''t know. "The future is never certain," she hedged. "Love is certainly a perilous realm, isn''t it?" Brian chortled. "Don''t I know it." "There are keys, though. See? Maybe if you ask the right questions, you can unlock the gates together.
Who knows? And miracles can be born at first sight, I think, even if they''re rare. If you''re brave enough to see them through." "I hope so," Brian said softly. "Anything else?" Once again, Jessica felt the strange, subtle burning, the tingle behind her eyes, and she heard herself speaking before she realized she''d formulated an answer. "Just this. You will find your love and lose your love, and you shall never win her again in this world. To love her, you will lose yourself, for it is someone else who will win her." Brian shook his head, confused.
"Come again?" "I . I don''t know why I said that. I . it just came to me." "A riddle? Like the card." "I guess so," Jessica said uncertainly. She chewed her lower lip for a moment. Brian smiled again.
"You''re good," he conceded. "You''ve got this Gypsy fortune thing nailed." Jessica grinned, hiding her shaken composure with bravado. She reached for the stoneware pitcher filled with coins and crumpled bills and shook it pointedly. "Dude, tip jar, huh?.